Art of decolorizing hydrocarbon oils



July 7, 1931. H. LOWERY ET AL ART OF DECOLORIZING HYDROCARBON OILS Filed Jan. 27, 1927 (In I IIIIIILIQ 0a ZWJ aw fi w Patented July 7, 1931 UNITED STATES HUGH LOWERY AND ROBERT s. LANE, or woon RIVER, ILLINOIS, assrenons- To PATENT OFFICE STANDARD OIL COMPANY, or wrrrrme, INDIANA, A CORPORATION on INDIANA ART OF DECOLORIZING HYDROCLRBON OILS Application filed January 21, 1927. Serial No. 163,949.

vThis invention relates to decolorizing hydrocarbon oils and particularly lubricating oils, and will be readily understood from the following description of a preferred manner of operating in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatigally in elevation an apparatus suitable there- Referring to the accompanying drawing, 1

1a is a mixer provided with a steam heating coil 2 and a perforated air pipe 3 for efiecting agitation of its contents. A draw-off pipe 4 from the bottom of the mixer leads to a pipestill- 5 and a pump 6 may be rovided in the 15 pipe at to force the oil throng the pipe-still. A valved pipe 7 is provided whereby steam, which may be superheated, may be supplied to the oil entering the pipe-still. The pipe: still outlet 8 leads to a mixer 9 which may, 2o suitably be an orifice-mixer of known or suitable t pe. The outlet pipe 10 from the mixer 9 lea s into a separating chamber 11. The chamber 11 is provided with a perforated pipe 12 for injecting superheated steam 25 thereinto, and w1th a Va or outlet 13 which leads to a condenser 14, om which the condensate leads to a receiver 15. The receiver 15 is provided with a gauge-glass 16, a water draw-off pipe 17, an oil draw-off pipe 18, and

so a gas outlet pipe 19 leading from the top of the receiver to a suction pump 20, which may suitably be a water'jet ejector. From the bottom of the drum 11 a pipe 21 leads to a cooler22. The outlet pipe 23 of the cooler 22 leads to a filter press, or other suitable filtering device 24, a pump 25 being provided in the pipe 23 for the purpose of supplying the oil to the filtering device at the requisite pressure. A pipe 26 leads oil from the filtering device 24 to the final cooler 27 from which it passes to storage by pipe 28.

The operation is as follows: Lubricating stocks are diluted and subjected to sulphuric acid treatment in a known manner. As dihereinafter. The lubricating stock is diluted luent, it is preferred to employ a relatively sufficiently to reduce the viscosity so as to facilitate the acid treatment and subsequent operations.

The sour oil may be settled with or without water and is passedto the mixer 1 in which fullers earth or equivalent decolorizing material, preferably dry, is added to the extent of about 3 to 7% of the base. oil. Any suitable decolorizing clay can be used, a fine clay being preferred. Decolorizing clay of 80 mesh or finer, is suitable, but it is preferred to use clay of between 150 and 200 mesh. Excellent results have been obtained, for example, with Olmstead fines and Attapulgas fines. The decolorizing clay is thoroughly mixed with the oil in the agitator, for example, by agitating with air supplied by perforated pipe 3 and may be preheated by waste steam in coil'2, if desired.

From the agitator l, the oil with the suspended decolorizing clay is forced by pump 6 through the pipe-still 5, a small amount of steam being preferably admitted through pipe 7 into the oil entering the pipe-still.

n the pipe-still 5, the mixture is heated rapidly to a temperature of about 550 to 900 F. and then passes to the enlar ed chamber 11, wherein the diluent oil and ight ends of the lubricating oil are volatilized, with the assistance of steam injected by perforated pipe 12, if desired. Before entering the separating chamber 11, the mixed oil and decolorizing clay may be passed through the .mixer 9 in order to obtain more perfect intermingling of the clay with the oil at high temperature. The mixer 9 may be omitted from the apparatus, if desired, since very efiicient contacting is obtained in the flow .through the pipe still and the pipe leading to the separating chamber.

The steam and vapors which separate in the chamber 11 pass by pipe 13 to condenser 14, the condensate being collected in receiver 15, from which it is removed by pipes 17 and 18', as desired. Vacuum may be supplied to the separating chamber by pump 20 so as to assist in the separation of diluent and light ends from the oil. The oil passing from the separating chamber is cooled, if necessary, in cooler 22v to a temperature suitable for filterpressing, say, from about 250 F. to 400 F., and is forced through the filter press 24 by pump 25. The filter-press retains the clay and the pressed oil is cooled in cooler 27 and is conveyed to storage.

In spite of the high temperature to WhlCll the oil is subjected no decomposition or deterioration of lubricating properties has been observed. The operation described effects the decolorizing of, and removal of bloom from the oils, the removal of the diluent oil and light ends therefrom, and the neutralization of the acid, yielding oil of greatly enhanced appearance and properties.

The process is equally applicable to steam refined and residue lubricating stocks.

The following detailed example will serve more fully to explain the invention. A steam refined stock of gravity 224 A. P. 1., flash 420 and viscosity 140 secE Saybolt (210 F.) was diluted with furnace oil in the ratio of 55 to 45. The diluted oil was acid treated and washed with water. The sour oil was then run into the mixer 1 and about 4% of decolorizing clay fines (on the base oil) were mixed with the oil, agitating with air. The temperature of the mixture was raised to about 160 F. by waste steam in the coil 2. The mixed oil and clay were passed through the pipe still 5. the issuing temperature being about 700 F. The unvaporized oil from the separating chamber was pressed at a temperature of 300 F. The finished oil had a gravity of 226 A. P. I., a flash of 480 F., a viscosity of 143 sec. Saybolt (210 F.) and a greatly improved color without bloom.

Vhile the invention has been illustrated by describing a specific example, it must be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited thereto except by the terms of the appended claims.

WVe claim:

1. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils, which consists in mixing the oils with decolorizing clay, heating the mixture in a confined stream to between 550 and 900 F. while avoiding substantially any decomposition of the oil, and separating the oil from the clay.

2. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils, which consists in mixing the oils with decolorizing clay, heating the mixture while flowing in a confined stream to a temperature sufficient to vaporize a substantial part of the lubricating oil thereby substantially raising its flash point, separating vapors from said oil and removing clay from the iun'aporized oil, said heating operation being so controlled as to prevent substantial decomposition of the oil.

3. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils. which consists in dissolving such oil in a lower boiling distillate, treating the solution with sulfuric acid, mixing decolorizing clay with the sour oil, heating the finely divided dry decolorizing clay therewith, heating the mixture in a confined stream to a high temperature sufficient to vaporize light ends of said lubricating oil, flashing the heated mixture before a substantial portion of said oil has undergone decomposition and removing vaporized oil therefrom, and withdrawing the unvaporized oil and removing the clay therefrom.

5. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils, which consists in mixing finely divided deoolorizing clay with a diluted oil, passing the mixture through a pipe still and heating the same therein to between 650 and 700 F., passing the heated mixture into an enlarged chamber wherein separation takes place, admitting open steam into said chamber, removing the vapors of the diluent and light ends from the chamber, removing unvaporized oil from said chamber and separating the clay therefrom.

6. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils. which consists in mixing finely divided decolorizing clay with a diluted oil, passing the mixture through a heated coil thereby raisin its temperature to between 550 and 900 n, passing the mixture into an enlarged chamber and effecting separation of vapors therein, removing' the unvaporized oil and admixed clay and filtering between about 250 and 400 F.

7 The method of decolorizing lubricating stocks, which consists in diluting said stocks with furnace oil, treating the solution with acid, mixing finely divided decolorizing clay with sour oil, heating the mixture in a cor;- fined stream to between 550 and 900 F., passing the heated mixture into an enlarged chamber, supplying steam thereto, withdrawing vapors and steam therefrom under reduced pressure, withdrawing unvaporized oil from said chamber, reducing its temperature to between 250 and 400 F., filtering from the admixed clay and cooling the filtered oil.

8. In the art of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils, the step of heating such oil together with decolorizing clay in a confined stream to cracking temperatures for a period insuflicient to effect a substantial decomposition of the oil.

9. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils, which consists in mixing oils with decolorizing clays, heating the mixture in a confined stream to cracking temperature while causing the stream to flow with sufficient speed to avoid substantial cracking quality are avoided. and thereafter lashing the mixture whereby the distillate oil together withpart of the lubricating oil is vaporized and the unvaporized oil is cooled.

11. In the art of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils the step of heating such oil together with deeolorizing clay and steam in a confined stream to cracking temperatures while avoiding substantially any decomposition of the oil.

12. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils which comprises mixing the oils with decolorizing clay. heating the mixture in a confined stream to between 550 and 900 F. for a period insuflicient to effect. substantial decomposition of the oil. introducing steam into the con fined stream. and separating the oil from the clay.

13. The method of decolorizing hydrocarbon lubricating oils which comprises mixing the oils with decolorizing clays heating the mixture in a confined stream to cracking temperature while causing the stream to flow with sufficient speed to avoid substantial cracking and impairment of lubricating quality, introduced highly heated steam into the stream of oil and clay, and flashing the mixture to vaporize the lighter constituents of the oil.

HUGH LOWERY. ROBERT S. 

